COLLABORATION
IT’S BARBIE’S WORLD WITH BALMAIN
JANUARY 13, 2022
-
WORDS
by KRISTOPHER FRASER
PHOTOS
COURTESY of BALMAIN
We’re Barbie girls, and it’s a Barbie world. Balmain has stepped into Barbie’s world with a collaboration bringing together Mattel’s beloved doll with the French luxury label. The new collection features both ready-to-wear and accessories.
This also marks the first time Barbie is entering the digital art world. Together, the two are dropping three one-of-a-kind NFTs of distinctive Barbie and Ken avatars. Styled in complete looks from Balmain’s designs, each is accompanied by a one-of-a-kind bespoke set of Barbie-sized Balmain pieces.
These Barbie x Balmain NFTs will be available exclusively through Mattel Creations, via an online auction hosted on mintNFT, guaranteeing buyers a unique place in fashion history as it moves into the virtual realm. In 2020, Mattel launched Mattel Creations, an e-commerce platform that connects Barbie with a network of global makers to produce limited-edition creations.
Balmain X Barbie
“Together, Barbie and Balmain are creating a new chapter in the legacy of the toy and fashion industries,” said Richard Dickson, president and chief operating officer of Mattel, in a statement. “As a fashion house committed to innovation in unexpected and joyous ways, Balmain, under Olivier Rousteing’s creative direction, is the perfect partner to translate the iconography that is unique to Barbie into a modern iteration of digital art and physical fashion.”
The collaboration filters Balmain’s aesthetic through Barbie’s lens. The 50 plus piece collection combines Balmain’s signature aesthetic with Barbie’s essence.
“As our campaign images make very clear, Barbie and Balmain are embarking upon a distinctly multicultural, inclusive and always joy-filled adventure,” said Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing. “For this collaboration, we are building upon the New French Style of Balmain’s most recent collections, once again showing that Balmain is inspired by the truly diverse and exciting beauty found on today’s Parisian boulevards and avenues. This collection also rejects any arbitrary gender limitations—this is an almost 100% unisex collection. For, just as today’s Barbie makes clear, there's nothing holding us back anymore!”
To mark the partnership, Barbie and Balmain have a launched digital campaign, which depicts the ready-to-wear and accessories collection on Barbie avatars. The promotion was conceptualized and styled by Charlotte Stockdale and Katie Lyall and photographed by Norbert Schoerner.
Balmain X Barbie
